Key dates in the Vanessa Marcotte murder case

A small memorial in memory of Vanessa Marcotte remains on the Princeton Town Common after an eight-month-long investigation into her murder. (SUN / Ashley Green)

PRINCETON -- Keys dates related to the murder of Leominster native Vanessa Marcotte while she was jogging in woods near her mother's home in August.

Aug. 7:

* 1 p.m.: On a weekend visit to her mother's home in Princeton, 27-year-old Vanessa Marcotte goes out for a jog alone.

* After 4 p.m.: With Vanessa still not back from her jog, her family notifies local police.

* Early evening: A police search of the area around the Marcotte home begins.

* 8:20 p.m.: A police K-9 unit finds Marcotte's body in a wooded area near Brooks Station Road, just half a mile from her mother's home.

Aug. 8: Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. confirms in a press conference that Marcotte's body was founded in Princeton and that the death is being investigated as a homicide. Early urges local residents not to go jogging in the area alone.

Aug. 10: Three days after Marcotte's death, friends and family gather in Leominster's Monument Square for a candlelight vigil.

Aug. 11: Early holds a second press conference in Princeton to say that the killer was a male who likely received injuries during a struggle with Marcotte. He tells reporters: "These injuries specifically were scratches, scrapes, or bruises. Therefore we would ask that anyone who has observed a male with these types of injuries that would have been fresh earlier in the week to contact that Massachusetts State Police tip line.

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Aug. 12:

* WCVB-Channel 5 in Boston reports investigators have submitted DNA samples for testing from at least one possible person of interest. Citing unidentified sources, the new station reports that the individual is familiar with the area where Marcotte's body was found.

* As hundreds of tips continue to pour into the state police's tip line, several outlets report a man with scratches being seen at Princeton's Wachusett Mountain Ski Area. The Daily Mail reports that authorities are reviewing security footage from the mountain after receiving reports of a man and woman visiting the mountain around the time Marcotte was killed. The story also claims the pair said they man had cuts and bruises on his arms from a recent motorcycle accident. Westminster Police Chief Sam Albert confirms that a motorcycle accident had occurred in the area at that time.

Aug. 14: Runners gather in Princeton in honor of Marcotte.

Aug. 15: Hundreds of family members, friends and co-workers arrive at Brandon Funeral Home in Fitchburg for Marcotte's wake.

Aug. 16: An even larger crowd arrives at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Leominster for Marcotte's funeral. Leah Abrahama, one of Marcotte's best friends, says in her eulogy: "You epitomize grace, light, humility, and absolute magic." Marcotte's body is buried at Woodside Cemetery in Westminster later that afternoon.

Aug. 18: A GoFundMe page started in Marcotte's memory raised over $13,000 for five of her favorite charities in under a week.

Aug. 30: Police begin investigating a "suspicious encounter" after a woman in Shirley reports being approached by a van while out jogging alone. She tells police that she was approached by a middle-aged man driving a large green van.

Sept. 1: Shirley Police Chief Thomas Goulden says the incident with the Shirley jogger had been a misunderstanding and that the driver of the green van had been pulling over to offer her some water.

Nov. 16: Early announces investigators are seeking a dark-colored SUV that was seen around the time of the murder near where Marcotte's body was found. He tells reporters that a dark-colored SUV was seen by witnesses parked on Brooks Station Road on Aug. 7 around the time the murder is thought to have occurred.

Dec. 21: Vanessa Marcotte's family speaks publicly for the first time since her murder. Her uncle, Steven Therrien, tells people gathered at the First Congregational Church of Princeton: "It's been more than four months since Vanessa was tragically taken from us. ... Not a day goes by that we don't reflect on the enormity of our loss. Vanessa possessed special gifts."

Feb. 23: Early holds a press conference in which he tells reporters that investigators have identified a "person of interest" in the murder investigation. He says that Marcotte's killer was likely a Hispanic or Latino male in his 30s with light or medium skin color and an athletic build. Early also says the suspect likely has a shaved head or short hair.

March 11: Runners gather for a 5K in Westminster in Marcotte's honor. Former classmate and event organizer Justine Popik tells reporters: "After everything that happened I felt motivated to do something to honor her and remember her."

April 15:

* Worcester-based blog Turtleboy Sports reports that multiple sources with ties to the Massachusetts State Police are reporting that an arrest has been made in the Marcotte investigation.

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